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St Athan march in pictures

visiting gog | 27.04.2008 18:08 | Anti-militarism | Repression | Terror War

Report from the march in Cardiff yesterday against the proposed military academy at St Athan.

No Military Academy!
No Military Academy!

Che meets CND
Che meets CND

War victims: "Iraqis have lost their country, children, lives, hope"
War victims: "Iraqis have lost their country, children, lives, hope"

A new, smart uniform for South Wales Anarchists? :o)
A new, smart uniform for South Wales Anarchists? :o)

The march sets off
The march sets off

Leanne Wood shows her face
Leanne Wood shows her face

CND Cymru banner, now facing the right way!
CND Cymru banner, now facing the right way!

A few people at the bus stops
A few people at the bus stops

They profit. We pay. At least £14 billion.
They profit. We pay. At least £14 billion.

Wales - "land of cannon fodder"
Wales - "land of cannon fodder"

Exactly how many jobs are being created?
Exactly how many jobs are being created?

At the OU in Cardiff
At the OU in Cardiff

War victims: soldiers lose their lives, limbs, sanity and humanity"
War victims: soldiers lose their lives, limbs, sanity and humanity"

The OU gets police protection
The OU gets police protection

More bored cops
More bored cops

The Open University loves arms dealers
The Open University loves arms dealers

Davy McAuley of Raytheon 9 speaks
Davy McAuley of Raytheon 9 speaks


The sun shone on Cardiff yesterday for the march against St Athan military academy. A couple of hundred people turned up to be marched along a desolate route dictated by the police to the Open University offices in Cardiff and then back along the same empty roads. A ridiculous set of restrictions was put in place under a Section 12 (Public Order Act, 1986) notice. We should all be aware that restrictions like these may be placed on all demonstrations - not just marches and processions - if the government gets its way over 'harmonising' [extending] the laws which already infringe our right to protest. They're hoping we'll be too busy celebrating the demise of SOCPA to notice.

St Athan is the latest bright idea in the government's 'War on Terror'. In the biggest PFI scheme yet, using billions of pounds of taxpayers' money, an unholy alliance is being forged between the Open University and a bunch of arms dealers including Raytheon and Qinetic to create a consortium which will be training armed forces from across the world in subjects such as 'peacekeeping'! Anyone notice just the tiniest conflict of interest there? How are arms dealers going to make their profits if the people they get paid to train go on to spread peace in the world?

It was interesting to see a couple of Plaid Cymru politicians at the demo. Jill Evans, MEP, is the only high-profile Plaid politician to speak out against St Athan, and that only came very, very late and after she was repeatedly asked to state her position. She is also Chair of CND Cymru, a position which would have been totally untenable for someone supporting the deal, and as an MEP she's a little removed from the cosy Plaid/Labour partnership in the Welsh Assembly Government so perhaps finds it easier to speak out than others. Leanne Wood, AM, was also there, a little surprising given that a few months ago she was writing to people to say that she had better things to do than get involved in a pointless campaign over an already done deal. Still, people can change their minds, or - perhaps more likely - realise that St Athan isn't set to be the vote-winner the politicians imagined.

Good to hear Davy McAuley, one of the Raytheon 9, speak at the rally after the march and call for direct action against the arms dealers.

visiting gog

Comments

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don't cooperate with the police

28.04.2008 12:48

Maybe next time don't tell the police where you're gonna go! Of course they're gonna make you march down a boring route if you let them!

It's much more inspiring for everyone involved to take matters into your own hands

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/manchester/2008/04/397250.html

reclaimer

Alternative View

29.04.2008 10:25

I have no problem with defying the police orders in principle, but tactically, on this specific occasion I don't think there was enough people on our side to make this worthwhile. All that would have resulted is activists, some of whom were young people attending their first demo, getting arrested or beaten up by cops, this would have made no significant difference to the impact of the demo, or got the message across to significantly more people.

Adam J
mail e-mail: respect_yourself_cardiff@hotmail.co.uk
- Homepage: http://www.cardiffrespect.blogspot.com